Never Think Twice
by ThankMeWhenIt'sWednesday
Summary: Jeremy Gilbert is severing all ties with his past, while Blakely Robertson is struggling to find her future. When their two worlds collide, they're thrown into a dangerous whirlwind that neither of them saw coming.
1. Chapter 1

"_Here's the thing, Jer. You're going to go out of town for a while . . . A long while. You're going to stay with some nice family friends in Denver. You're going to be at a new school, and meet new girls – living girls. You're going to drink a few beers, take an art class, you do whatever you want . . . You're going to leave Mystic Falls behind and never think twice about it. Lead a better life, Jeremy." __-Damon Salvatore_

**-Chapter One-**

"Oh. My. Gosh. Blakely!"

My best friend Chelsea appeared at my side seemingly out of nowhere. If I didn't know better, I would've thought she had run here from her locker down at the other end of the overly-decorated school hallway. I gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement as I removed the books I needed for my first few classes out of my locker. I didn't need to get a decent look at her to know she had some big news to share; I could feel an excited vibe flowing from her that screamed some major gossip was filling that pretty little mind of hers.

"Have you seen the new guy yet?"

I threw her a curious glance. "What new guy?"

"Apparently his name is Jeremy Gilbert. I guess he moved here from some small town in Virginia, and now he's living with some relatives or something. He's a tall, green-eyed brunette and super duper sexy. And get this - from what I overheard, he's a _sophomore,_" she gave a dream-like sigh and grinned.

I didn't even have to ask how she knew all this. Her locker was two away from the office, which meant she saw and heard a lot of the juicy drama that went down over there. Her elite position of knowing pretty much everyone's personal business made her the school's reigning gossip queen. She was the first to know everything and the last to keep it a secret - especially when it came to boys.

I could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. Chelsea was the most boy crazy person I knew. A hot new guy meant new prey for her to hunt – and by hunt, I mean stalk. Plus, the fact that he's a sophomore like us probably makes him that more attainable to her.

"Hm," I closed my locker and leaned back against it, holding my history book against my chest. "You know why he moved?"

"Believe it or not, I don't," her brow furrowed briefly, then went back to normal as her eyes widened. "But he was really brooding and pensive. Like full-on Edward brooding."

I gave a small eye roll at one of her many Twilight references as a dull tone hummed throughout the hallway – the bell signaling students (and some teachers) to head to class.

We began our usual Monday morning trudge to our homerooms. Chelsea chattered on about some subject I wasn't particularly interested in (like clothes and partying and the like), while I merely listened. That was the way our friendship tends to work: Chelsea was a feisty, flirty firecracker while I shone more like a flashlight.

". . . or maybe I should just ask him to Sadie's. What do you think? We can talk about it during second period," she gave a small wave as she made a left turn onto a different hallway. "Bye, B!"

"See ya, Chels."

I had only walked a few steps before I was suddenly knocked into a nearby locker, and felt my book fall out of my hands.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz," an unfamiliar male voice began to apologize profusely. We both knelt down at the same time to retrieve our fallen belongings.

"Oh, no. It's fine," I reassured him absentmindedly, searching around for my history book. "I should've been watching where I was going."

He sighed, then gave a sardonic chuckle. " . . . my first day and I'm already making enemies."

"We're definitely not–" And then it clicked. "Oh, you must be Jeremy, right?"

He tensed, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Yeah," he said slowly, cocking his head a little to the left. "How do you know?"

"Small school," I said, matching his slow, questioning tone. "Word travels fast."

I could almost physically see him relax, the tension slipping from him like the air leaving a balloon. His guard wasn't completely down, but there was still a huge difference in his body language.

And then I got my first look at him – my first _good_ look. Chelsea was right, he was totally gorgeous. And brooding. And pensive. I could tell just by looking that he had a dark past. It was entrancing.

"Um, yeah. We don't really get many newcomers in this town. Everyone pretty much grew up here, so it can be kind of clique-y. Everyone just has their own niche. Just so you know. Not that I'm saying you'll have problems fitting in, because–" I mentally smacked myself. When did I suddenly become such a rambling idiot? To draw attention away from the awkwardness that was surely about to ensue, I decided to go for a change of subject.

"Is that my history book?"

Jeremy glanced down at the textbook in his hand. "Sure enough. It is. Sorry about that."

I shrugged. "No biggie," I looked around the nearly deserted hallway. The tardy bell was going to ring any second now. He stood up, and I followed suit.

"Well, I guess I better head to class," he said, nodding his head towards the direction he was headed.

"Um, yeah," I raided my brain for an excuse, _any_ excuse, to spend more time with him. "You know where you're going, right? Don't need any directions or anything?"

"I think I know where I'm headed."

"Well, if you ever need a tour guide . . ." I turned slowly and started to resume my trek to class. I wasn't far along before he called after me.

"Hey!"

I whipped back around to find him still rooted to the same spot.

"I never caught your name."

I grinned. "Blakely. Blakely Robertson."

He smirked, just a slight upturn at the corner of his lips. "Blakely," he repeated, nodding his head. He began to walk backwards. "I guess I'll see you around . . . Blakely."

I gave a small wave as he turned to walk normally.

I had the vague idea that this new guy Jeremy was something special, a real diamond in the rough. If only I knew then how right I was.

**Okay, so that's chapter one. Sorry if it's kind of slow, but it's still the exposition so it can only go up from here . . . right? Right. Sooo, see that lovely review button down there? It would make me _extremely_ happy if you clicked it and left me some constructive criticism :) Seriously, it doesn't have to be longer than a sentence. Just let me know what you think! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**-Chapter Two-**

As far as schedules go, Chelsea and I hit the jackpot. Out of a total of seven classes, we had four together. One of which is a study hall, which often made second period my favorite part of the day.

I tossed my stuff on the ground and slid into my chair at our usual table in the back of the rather compact school library, mumbling out a quick "hey" as I did so.

Chelsea briefly glanced up from her new copy of _Seventeen_. "What's up?"

"Nada. You?"

She shrugged, looking back down at her magazine. Deciding to get some homework done, I began pull homework out of my thick binder. I stared down blankly at the papers for a few seconds before realizing I'd need a writing utensil. I leaned down over the hard arm of the chair and lugged my backpack onto the table. As I searched around for my fuzzy purple pen, I could feel Chelsea's eyes on me.

"Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

The way she was staring at me was making me nervous. I felt like I was growing a third eye or something. "Yeah, why?"

Her look was incredulous. "You were humming to yourself with this huge grin plastered on your face."

"I was not humming," I rolled my eyes and went back to searching for my pen.

"'_I got sunshine, on a cloudy day,'_" she sang quietly.

"Shut up," I muttered.

She tossed her magazine on the table. "Seriously," she said, resting her arms on the table. "What the matter with you?"

"Nothing," I snapped a little too defensively. "I'm just having a good day is all."

"Okay," she said, obviously trying to appease me. I could tell she didn't believe me, and this probably wasn't the last I'd hear of it.

Like a sudden change in weather, Chelsea's mood shifted. She rapidly grabbed her magazine and flipped to a random page.

"Chels?"

"Sh!" she hissed. "Act natural."

"What are you-" I was silenced by her eyes, which were motioning at something behind me.

In a nonchalant manner, I "accidentally" dropped my pen on the ground on my left. Leaning my right arm over the left side of my chair, I reached down and tried to grab it. I surreptitiously snuck a glance at what had Chelsea internally freaking out.

Travis Reeves, the school heartthrob, and Jeremy were standing in a nearby aisle about ten feet behind me. Travis, with his movie star good looks and perfectly sculpted muscles, was without a doubt the school heartthrob. And Jeremy was just plain handsome. They were way too attractive to be standing in the same small space together, much less be in a fifty foot radius of each other. It was almost too much for my eyes to handle.

After realizing I was taking way too much time to simply pick up a pen, I pulled myself back up. Chelsea was looking at me with a knowing smirk. It faltered briefly, and then picked back up again into a friendly grin.

"Chelsea, why are you-"

A sooth voice spoke from behind me. "Hey, ladies." I turned around to find both boys suddenly standing behind my chair.

"Hey," Chelsea and I both responded at the same – her answer cool and laid back, mine overly perky. I'm such an amateur when it comes to this. Talking to guys has never been my specialty.

Travis smirked seductively. Did I mention he's also a major player? I refrained from rolling my eyes. He was so obvious.

My focus shifted to Jeremy. He seemed uncomfortable, standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets. From what I'd seen of him so far (which quite honestly, wasn't much), I'd bet Travis wasn't even the type guy he'd like to hang out with. The two of them probably got thrown together because Travis practically owned the school and it made the most sense logically for him to show Jeremy around, take him under his wing. He probably thought he'd gained a new follower. Just another sheep to follow him blindly. It's typically how things went. I'd seen it happen first hand. It's a shame, really.

Chelsea's voice popped a hole in my thoughts. "That sounds like a great idea. Right, Blakely?"

I gave her a blank look. "What?"

"The party that Travis just invited us to," she said slowly, staring at me like I was crazy.

"Oh," I was my only response.

"She's right, you should come," Jeremy finally spoke up. "It'll be fun." He added flatly. That unexcited tone and the subtle pleading look he was sending me confirmed it – Travis was trying to mold him into one of his cronies, and Jeremy so wasn't buying into it. Poor kid.

"I guess I'll go then," I tried to shrug like it was no big deal.

Travis nodded his head, like I was making some great, life-changing decision or something. "Cool. I'll see you guys at my place tonight. 9-ish." He did a weird hand raising thing that I guess was supposed to be some sort of cool guy wave. Chelsea totally bought it and was waving back at him ecstatically as she watched him go.

With a tired sigh, Jeremy reluctantly followed after him. "See you guys later," he said while passing us. Before looking ahead again, he flashed me a quick wink.

Even once they were out of sight she was still staring after them.

"I think it'd be a good idea to put your eyes back in your head and wipe that drool from your chin."

Her only response was to stick her tongue out at me. I guess only hot guys could leave Chatty Chelsea grasping for a witty comeback.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Sorry that it's been a while since I've posted, I feel really bad about that. It's just y'know life and a little bit of writer's block got in the way. But to make up for it, this chapter's a little longer. :D And I also apologize because it's been going kind of slow. However, this chapter kind of, sort of jump starts the plot and the long term plans I have for this story, so that's kind of exciting :P And just to avoid confusion, it switches POV's at the very end, so be on the lookout for that. **

**Because I always forget to put a disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. (Although I _really_ wish I did.)**

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><p><strong><em>-<em>Chapter Three-**

I checked my watch for probably the fiftieth time in the last ten minutes. I felt like a prisoner in my own bathroom, tortured by the endless primping and hair styling Chelsea was subjecting me to in preparation for Travis's party. It was like I was her own life-sized Barbie or something. She wouldn't even let me see the mirror until she was completely finished. She wanted the "Before And After" effect or something.

In an attempt to get on her nerves, I gave a loud, over the top sigh. "Are you sure it's not too late to stay home?"

"For the millionth time – yes," was her exasperated response. "We're invited to a Travis Reeves party, Blakely! When are we ever going to get this opportunity again?"

"Hopefully never," I muttered to myself before speaking out loud again. "But is all of _this_ necessary?" I gestured to the dolled-up mass that was my hair.

Chelsea rolled her eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "This is for Jeremy, duh."

I had to bite my lip to keep the excited grin that was slowly creeping onto my face from taking over. I really hated what just the sound of his name did to me. I'd only met him today, for Pete's sake. There was no good reason why he should have this affect on me, pretty face or not.

This was so unlike me. I'm definitely not the type of girl who gets all dewy-eyed, head-over-heels, clumsy in love over guys. The fact that Jeremy had already gotten this much of a reaction out of me spoke volumes about the chemistry I felt with him.

Needless to say, this whole ordeal was embarrassing for me.

"C'mon, Chels," I whined, still unable to get rid of the miniscule smile that was stuck like peanut butter to jelly on my face. "You know you don't have to do this."

She just rolled her eyes playfully, as she did some final touches on my hair. "But I want to, silly. Besides, we both know you're secretly thanking me on the inside." There was no way I was admitting it out loud, but she was hitting it right on the mark. Scary how well she knows me sometimes.

After a comfortable moment's silence, I spoke up quietly. "Am I that obvious?"

She gave a one-shoulder shrug, her signature move. "Kind of. It wasn't blatantly obvious until I saw the looks you were giving each other." She turned my chair to the side and I stifled a sigh as she reached for her makeup bag. "He's totally into you too, by the way. I'm already working on your couple name. Which one do you prefer – Bleremy or Jakely? Close your eyes."

I did as I was told, and scrunched my nose at the whole idea of couple names. It was way too early for that. "Keep working on it." We both went quiet for a few moments; the only sound in the spacious bathroom was Chelsea humming whatever pop song she had stuck in her head as she worked diligently on my face.

After a few minutes, she swiveled my chair around to face the mirror again. "All done," she sang.

Chelsea was a beauty wizard. My usually on the verge of uncontrollable curly hair was now lying flat, a few inches past my shoulders. Most days I wear the bare minimum of makeup – a little eyeliner and some mascara, with a little dash of lip gloss thrown in there. Chelsea had gone all out with eye shadow, blush, the whole enchilada. My earlier statement correct – I was Chelsea's own personal brunette Barbie. And she'd done a fabulous job.

"I know, I'm brilliant," Chelsea stated simply with a casual shrug, catching the awed look on my face.

I made eye contact with her smug reflection in the mirror. "Thanks, Chels," I said with true gratefulness.

She held up her hand as if to stop me. "No chick flick moments." I merely stuck my tongue out at her, which she immediately returned with no hesitation. Sometimes we had the maturity of five year olds.

Chelsea pulled me out of the chair and shoved me towards the door. "Go, get dressed," she said, making a shoo-like gesture in my direction. "I just have a little touching up to do and we should be out of here in the next ten minutes."

"Thank God," I said, sticking out my tongue one final time.

"And wear the white shirt!" Chelsea called as I made my way into my room. "The one with the witty remark on it. It'd go great with your leather jacket."

"Will do!" I replied. Chelsea had proven time and again she was a fashion genius; it'd be stupid of me not to listen.

I changed quickly, careful not to mess up any of Chelsea's hard work. I let Chelsea know I'd be waiting for her in the kitchen, and made my way downstairs.

As I made my way past the living room, I saw my five year old cousin Gracie planted in front of the TV watching cartoons. She had a wide grin across her face, and I just stopped and watched her for a moment. I was glad to see her happy, if only for a fleeting moment. Her parents had died in a car accident this past summer, leaving her in the care of my Grandma - just like I am. Gracie hasn't uttered a word since Grandma had to break the news to her of her parents' passing. Over the last few months, Gracie has become the little sister I never had. I've found I'll do pretty much anything and everything that'll get a smile on her face, because there's no sweeter little girl out there and Gracie definitely doesn't deserve the bad hand life has dealt her at such a young age.

I started towards the kitchen again, and found Grandma loading a pan of cookies in the oven.

"Why did you wait until I had to leave before you decided to make your epic cookies?" I pouted.

"Oh, you know I'll save you some," she said, closing the oven and turning to face me. Her eyes widened and an impressed smile spread across her face. "Well, you sure do clean up nicely. You should take my broom with you; you'll have to be beating those boys off with a stick the whole night."

I bit my lip as I felt a blush take over my cheeks.

"You'll be back by eleven?"

"Of course," I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. Eight-thirty.

The sound of Chelsea's heels clacking against the hardwood alerted us to her presence a few seconds before we actually saw her. As she entered the wide doorway she sniffed.

"You're making cookies aren't you?" she closed her eyes as she inhaled the scent.

"When you girls get back, feel free to help yourselves," Grams offered.

"If you and Gracie don't eat them all," I joked. Kind of. Seriously, they're that good.

Chelsea sighed reluctantly. "Maybe we could stay, just until the cookies finish."

"Oh, no. You wanted to leave early, we're leaving early." I looped my arm through Chelsea's and began pulling her out of the kitchen. "Bye, Grams!" I called over my shoulder.

"Bye Grandma Robs!" Chelsea repeated, using her own personal name for my Grandma. We also said a quick good-bye to Gracie, who waved in return, before heading out to my car.

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><p>We circled around for five minutes before finding a parking spot, seven before we reached the Reeves' front door, and we could faintly hear the music from two houses over. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the cops showed up at any second. I tried using this as evidence as to why we should maybe just head back home, but Chelsea wasn't hearing it. We were here now, we were staying.<p>

As we entered the enormous house, I felt like we had just strolled into a trashy music video. The one where everyone was either drinking, dancing, making out with a total stranger, or all of the above. It was so sloppy. I couldn't believe people actually consider this a fun night, as if any of them will remember this tomorrow.

Chelsea tapped my shoulder and attempted talking over the music. "_Hey, I'm going to go over that way and . . ._" and the rest was unintelligible over the pulsing sound of a dance song with a heavy beat.

"_What?_"

"_I'll be right back!_" Chelsea let go of my hand and disappeared into the crowd. Great. I was alone at a crazy party. How cliché.

I didn't really know what to do with myself now. Chelsea had ditched me and I had no clue where Jeremy was; I didn't really want to hang out with anyone else. I decided to go in search of a place with just an inkling of peace. Although I was doubtful as to whether I'd find one.

I made my way towards the back of the house, and into the backyard. It was a bit quieter out here, and the mood was a bit more mellow. People were scattered about, talking loudly and drinking. Some jocks had started a shirtless game of water polo in the pool – which was nice to look at, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't my type thing. I checked my watch, already wondering how soon it was before I could leave. It was nine o'nine. Lovely. I crossed my arms and watched the water polo match unfold, might as well take advantage of it.

"Enjoying the show, I see."

I was surprised to find Jeremy standing next to me. I hadn't even noticed him walk up.

"Not my thing, but I'll admit it's somewhat entertaining."

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah, well, sports really aren't my thing either."

I uncrossed my arms and moved my hands to my back pockets, turning so he had my undivided attention. "Really? What are you into?"

He shrugged slowly, his hands in his pants pockets. That seemed to be his signature pose. "I like to draw a little bit."

"That's cool. What do you draw? Like comics, or people, or . . .?"

"Mostly things out of my imagination," he chuckled a little, and he smiled that stellar smile. It made _my_ imagination run a little wild. "Monsters and vampires."

Something flashed in his eyes that I chose to ignore, and I shivered a little.

"Latching onto the whole _Twilight_ craze, I see," I joked, flirting a little.

"Definitely not," he flirted right back. "Vampires don't sparkle. It's totally unrealistic."

"Because vampires are so realistic in the first place," I stated, total sarcasm in my tone.

Jeremy froze again, and I saw that same look again. It was a brief lapse, and he was back to normal so quick I probably wouldn't have noticed had I not been paying such close attention.

"You know what I mean," he said, almost nervously. "Uh, can I get you a beer or something?"

"No, thanks. I don't drink."

"Oh, well we can hunt down some water if you want."

"That sounds like a stellar idea."

I still wasn't sure what just happened a moment before, but I'm pretty sure whatever it was Jeremy probably didn't want to talk about it, so I certainly wasn't going to ask. Yet. I had to remind myself that he barely knew me, and vice versa. He had a whole past I was totally unaware of. A little warning bell went off in my head, gently reminding me to proceed with caution.

* * *

><p>Keeping an eye on her target, she flipped out her cell phone and dialed her boss's number. She got an answer on the second ring.<p>

"Did you do it yet?" No greeting, just straight to the point.

She hesitated a bit before answering with a defensive edge. No way she was going to let her boss sense how unnerved she was. "No. He's been surrounded all day, and now he's talking to some girl."

"Get rid of her."

"But-"

"No buts. You need to bring him to me. _Now._" The menacing vibe shooting from the other end sent a fearful chill down her spine.

"I understand."

"Do you?" the tone itself was a threat – if she didn't deliver Jeremy to her boss tonight, heads would roll. Specifically hers.

"Yes."

"Good. Get it done."

_Click._

Snapping her phone shut, she zeroed in on her prey. She repeated her orders like a mantra: _Kill her, capture him. Kill her, capture him._

Taking a deep breath, she marched back into the party.

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><p><strong>Well? What'd you think? A review would be very much appreciated, if you catch my quite obvious hint :D<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys! Major thanks to everyone who's reading this. You guys inspire me to keep going So, here we go, chapter four. :)**

**And, I don't own The Vampire Diaries . . . If I did, we would've seen a lot more of the other characters in Thursday's episode. And Meredith would be in her rightful place as Elena and Bonnie's best friend and not some doctor with what seems like a serious multiple personality disorder. Just saying.**

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><p>-Chapter Four-<p>

After grabbing a Coke from the kitchen, we somehow found ourselves in the basement watching a game of beer pong. Jeremy and I were sharing the small, two-person couch against the wall, out of everybody's way. Although we were sitting close enough for my heart beat to quicken and the butterflies in my stomach to take their fluttering flight, it still wasn't all touchy-feely sexy time. Jeremy was sitting a respectful distance away from me, considering the rather compact size of the seat. My body was angled slightly towards him and my knee was leaning comfortably against his. He had his arm around the back of the couch, which conveniently provided the opportunity for Jeremy to rest his hand on my shoulder. Any passerby would probably think we were a couple from our cozy position, and I briefly thought back to what Chelsea said about him being into me. I shook the idea away; it was way too early for that.

Not that I minded entertaining that particular thought.

In about the ten minutes or so we'd been talking, I'd already gleaned a few more tidbits about Jeremy. He grew up in a small town in Virginia I'd never heard of, he lost his parents in a car accident about a year and a half ago, and his aunt too by the end of the school year. He'd totally confirmed what I'd been thinking about him – he _had_ been through a lot. My heart went out to him; from living with Gracie I'd seen what happens first hand to someone when they tragically lose their parents. It was one of the hardest things a person could go through. He'd probably had to go through hell to get to the good place he's in now.

"I feel like we're talking too much about me," Jeremy said casually as I proceeded to ask him another question about his life back home. "Believe it or not, I'd actually get to know you, too. Not just ramble about me the whole time."

I sighed dramatically. I really don't like talking about myself. At first I was glad when the music had been turned down to the point where you could actually carry on a conversation with the person standing next to you, now that small blessing had turned into a curse. "There's not much to say, really. My life's pretty boring."

"I highly doubt that," he said sincerely. "You said you live with your grandma and cousin, right? How'd that come about?"

"Well," I began, unsure if I really wanted to answer the question.

Jeremy's already gentle expression softened. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine," I said quickly, brushing a strand of loose hair behind my ear. I bit my lip, wondering where to begin. "I just don't really talk about it much, y'know?"

He nodded his head, understand. I felt a fleeting moment of idiocy. Of course he knew, after all he'd been through. I could be so embarrassingly naïve sometimes.

"Not much to say, I guess. Never knew my dad; he bailed when he found out my mom was pregnant. My mom," I paused, collecting my thoughts. "she, uh, she had a problem." I took a deep breath, and decided to spit it out. "She's in rehab, getting better."

Embarrassed by my vulnerability, I couldn't make eye contact as Jeremy moved the hand that was wrapped around me to put his hand on my knee, an action to comfort me. _Here it comes,_ I thought knowingly,_ the age old words to make me feel better._ Next to no one in the community really knew what I was going through, what this did to me, because they'd never experienced this before. They'd never had someone dear to them falling off the wagon. Everyone outside of my family tried their best to make me feel better with their sympathetic hugs and phrases of encouragement, but they didn't get it. They'd never had to go through it, so they couldn't relate. Their loyalty and attempts to make me feel better was appreciated, but it didn't help the way it should. And now I was going to get the same thing from Jeremy.

At first he just sat there, contemplating. He moved his hand from my knee to take my hand in his. He spoke up after a few moments of silence, and his words were the last thing I expected.

"Getting clean isn't easy."

My head snapped up. I looked at him, shocked. That wasn't at all what I anticipated him to say, far from it.

Looking into his intense gaze, it was crystal clear to me_. He knew._ He knew exactly what I was going through, what I was feeling. I didn't know how this fit into his past, but he had been here before.

Stupid tears began to fill my eyes, and I wiped them away hastily. I really didn't share this type of information, this vulnerable side with of me, with anyone outside of Chelsea, my grandma, and Gracie. In a way, I was sharing this personal secret with someone I'd only met this morning. It was pretty foolish of me to be trusting him this much so soon, but he'd shared so much with me already and I could just sense the goodness in him. I wanted to feel humiliated, but I couldn't. It was so nice, so _rare_, to share with someone who understood.

I wasn't sure about how I felt about Jeremy already starting to see some of my cracks. I knew I should have felt some sort of hesitation going into this, a cautious trepidation, but for some reason it just wasn't there. I was free falling, and I wasn't sure if there was anything I could do to stop it.

All at once, I was overwhelmed. I stood up suddenly, unable to sit there and open my heart any further.

"I-I've got to go," I stammered out, nervously. I could tell by the confused look on Jeremy's face he was lost as to what just happened. I didn't blame him. I'm not sure what I was thinking either. "I'm sorry," I rushed out a quick apology.

"Blakely," Jeremy said, worried. He stood up and I took a step back. "is everything okay?"

He reached out for me, and I stepped back again, staying out of his grasp. "Look, I just gotta go, okay?"

And without another word, I turned and walked away. I could hear him call my name another time, but I kept going, willing myself not to respond.

I made my way back outside, breathing in the fresh air in gulps. I stumbled over to an empty area in the corner of the backyard, breathing in short gasps. The tears were coming, full force.

What had I done back there? I didn't even know. I was just thinking about Jeremy, how easy it was between us. For a fleeting moment, it scared the crap out of me. I let a brief moment of insecurity get the better of me. Ugh. Jeremy probably thought I was some unstable basketcase now.

I wiped my eyes, in disbelief of the major bitch I'm being. I turned around to head back inside, and found myself face to face with someone unexpected.

My hands flew to my mouth in shock.

Kate Michaelson was a girl who went to my school. She was a sophomore like me, and had disappeared from the bleachers at a school football game a few months ago. They searched for her desperately for a solid two months with no luck. No one had seen her since that Friday night back in October.

Until now.

"Kate? Is that really you?"

Kate grabbed me roughly by the arm and dragged me closer to her, staring intensely into my eyes.

As soon as I met her gaze, I couldn't look away. It was like I was trapped; I was a prisoner locked in her prison until she decided otherwise.

"I really need you to shut up and not draw any attention to us," she hissed. As if my brain no longer obeyed my command but instead followed her spoken words, I couldn't speak. My breathing, although still frantic, was a lot quieter too.

Her painful grip on my arm relaxed, but her voice was still dark, menacing. But I only noticed that subconsciously; I was still stuck in her cold stare.

"Here's the deal: we're going to walk out of this party together, and you're not going to do anything rash. If someone stops you, ignore them and keep following my lead. Draw as little attention to yourself as possible." She broke the staring exchange.

I blinked, and just like that I was out of the trance.

I tried to speak, hum, scream – make any sort of noise. I couldn't. I physically _could not_ do it. What the hell? It was like I was repeatedly hitting a wall, and my body refused to go around it.

Kate slipped on a pair of sunglasses, and threw on a black fedora that matched the rest of her black as night outfit.

She didn't even look at me when she spoke.

"Let's go."

I followed obediently, doing exactly as she said.

* * *

><p><strong>I totally apologize if Jeremy was a little OOC in this chapter. He's been off the show for a while and I'm too lazy to go back and watch old episodes, so I tried to write him to the best of my ability.<strong>

**Yeah, this was actually how chapter two was supposed to end, but I kind of made up that chapter as I went along and had to move this ending forward a few chapters :P**

**Either way, I hope you enjoyed it! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know, I know. I'm a horrible person. Sorry it's been so long since I've updated! Life and school and writer's block have all had a hand in my inexcusable absence. My deepest and sincerest apologies.**

**Did you guys see Thursday's episode? More specifically the promo following? Jeremy makes an appearance! :D And apparently I've got to get him a dog now. Lovely.**

**And I just checked my student ID. Apparently I'm not Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, or anyone else who works on the Vampire Diaries, which means I don't own it. That kind of threw off my whole week. :P Anyways, enjoy the chapter! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter Five-<strong>

Angry. Impatient. Threatening.

This wasn't the Kate I remembered. The Kate I knew was sweet as candy, wouldn't hurt a fly. She was that person who always flashed you a friendly smile when you made eye contact with her when walking down the halls. Everyone adored her. That's why it came as such a shock when she suddenly disappeared. The whole community was in unrest, desperate to find the sweet girl who brightened everyone's bleary days. There were signs of a struggle in the last place she'd been seen. The insufficient amount of evidence led the police to call it a kidnapping, but there wasn't much to lead them to her location or narrow down the already dwindling list of suspects who could've have possibly abducted her. As most kidnapping cases do when there's not only a lack of evidence but a lack of progress, the unsuccessful search for Kate slowly rolled to a dead stop. To be quite honest, I wasn't sure if anyone was still really looking for her besides her family.

Whatever happened that night – and since then – has caused a total one-eighty on her personality, her soul. There's a darkness inhabiting her that I've never seen outside of the realm of TV and movies. If it wasn't for the fiery red hair that fell to her shoulders, I wouldn't even have recognized her.

The night was suddenly cold. It felt much colder than it did even ten minutes ago, at least to me. I shivered and nervously pulled my jacket closer around me as I followed her out of the party. Kate got she wanted – we made it out of the rambunctious party without incident. No one paid us any attention. No one stopped us. For all anyone knew, we were just two normal girls leaving your typical Friday night high school party.

Whatever freaky hypnotic mind control thing Kate had clamped around my mind was still working in full swing, too. I still couldn't go against anything she said.

We weaved through cars as we made our way down the driveway; the only sounds in my ears were the pat of our feet on the concrete, the raging party inside, and the faint annoying chirp of crickets carrying over from the dark forest at the end of the street.

By the right turn Kate made once we reached the sidewalk, it would be a pretty accurate idea to assume we were headed to the forest.

I was still trailing behind Kate by a few feet. Although that gap was increasing with each of Kate's long stride. It was beyond me how she was walking so fast in heels. I wanted to ask, the in-denial part of me wanting to ease some of the tension, but I still couldn't force myself to speak.

"Keep up," she snarled at me over her shoulder.

As if it triggered something in my brain, my pace quickened to catch up with her.

Out of nowhere, something fell out of the tree to my right and landed in front of us.

Not fell. _Jumped._

My teeth involuntarily clamped down on my tongue to keep from screaming like the baby I was.

Kate merely huffed out an irritated sigh. "Really, Brady? Was that necessary?"

"It served its purpose," he shrugged, rising effortlessly from his crouched position. How easy it seemed for him to stand up without difficulty after that landing, I had no idea.

He flipped his shaggy black hair out of his face and nodded in my direction. "Scared the crap out of our little friend there. She smells lovely by the way." I was tempted to sniff my shoulder, failing to remember what perfume I had put on, but didn't want to draw more attention to myself than necessary.

"I have direct orders to off her, so don't even think about it."

That was the comment that caused the panic to set in. Although I was one hundred percent confused by what had been going on thus far, that slice of information was clear.

Someone told her to kill me.

A smirk spread across the guy's face – Brady, she said his name was. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and he took a tiny step towards me.

"Did you hear that? How fast her heart rate picked up?" his brown eyes were locked on mine, and he was advancing towards me at a snail's pace. It was automatic, as if he didn't even realize he was doing it. "Just realizing how _bad_ this situation is, aren't you, Sweetheart? How _wrong_ it is." He was taunting me.

Suddenly Kate blocked my view.

"_No." _she growled. Like actually growled.

"C'mon," Brady begged with a pained excitement in his voice. Desire. That's what it was. "You said you had to kill her anyway, right? Just let me take a little bite first. No biggie. If you want I could even do the job for you. Suck her dry." He inhaled deeply. "Her blood. I need it."

Kate glanced at her watch. "Brady, I thought you ate like an hour ago."

"I'm a guy. I'm still hungry."

Kate deliberated for a moment before coming to a decision. "Fine, we'll split her."

Their attention flipped back to me. My brain stopped processing once Brady started talking about "taking a bite." I didn't know what that was supposed to mean. Didn't want to know.

I was dead meat.

I started to hyperventilate. My breathing quickened as both of their eyes turned black, the pure white area morphing into an irritated red. I could see dark veins appearing through the skin beneath their eyes.

Brady smiled a menacing, dark and convoluted. Like he was the predator about to leap for its prey.

Prey. That's me.

Something glinted in his mouth off of the moonlight.

Fangs. He had fangs. Sharp, pointy, dagger-like fangs.

They were advancing on me slowly, savoring the moment like they were about to savor me. I still couldn't scream.

"I'll try to make it quick," Brady's eyes narrowed, running his tongue over his fang. "But no guarantees."

They hissed and lunged for me at the same time.

And that's when I passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, and happy Spring Break! I'm so excited, you don't even know. I don't have any plans or anything, but any sort of break is always nice. :P Although the wee hours of Saturday morning is usually my posting time, you _might_ get a few chapters over the course of this week, but we'll see what happens. ;)**

**And muchas gracias to those of you who left a review, or favorited this, or put it on your story alert. You guys totally rock my socks off. So thanks a million for just being awesome. **

**I'd also like to take this time to apologize for the brevity of this chapter. I tried making it longer, I swear, but nothing flowed as well as I liked and I felt like where it ended was a nice spot. **

**As usual, The Vampire Diaries doesn't belong to me.**

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><p><strong>-Chapter Six-<strong>

At least, I think I passed out.

_**Never here . . .**_

Some things were still a little fuzzy. Reality and fantasy collided in an indistinguishable blur, to the point where I didn't really know what actually happened anymore.

_**Isn't the end . . .**_

There might've been something about plaid horses and vampire elephants, but I highly doubted that.

_**Please . . .**_

To be quite honest, I really didn't know what was going on. Where I was, why I was here. It was just blankness. Emptiness. There was just me, and thousands and thousands of miles of absolutely nothing. I was a miniscule black spot on a white canvas, a needle in a haystack.

_**Blakely . . . please . . . **_

Calm. All I could feel was calm. I was in what some probably considered a rather worrisome predicament; I should be terrified out of my wits. But I wasn't. Instead I was peacefully drowning in a vast ocean of serenity, tranquil waves washing over me.

_**Open your eyes . . .**_

No. I couldn't. Didn't want to. Knee-jerk reaction, my natural tendency. I couldn't leave here, even if I wanted to. Leaving this place would send the sturdy white walls crumbling down, and that surely was a bad thing. It felt like such a bad thing.

_**Not again . . . I can't go through . . . **_

A crack in the wall.

It came suddenly and out of the blue. It was a small gesture, tender in nature. I didn't know what it was, but it was something. A glimmer of . . . a glimmer of hope.

It was a touch. Hands grasped in mine.

I looked down at my hands; there was nothing there. My hands appeared as if they were curled around an empty patch of air, as if I was holding hands with a ghost. But that wasn't it. Couldn't be. This felt too real. Too warm. Too _familiar._

_**My fault . . . Don't leave me . . .**_

There it was again, a light touch. This time it moved gracefully down my face. I closed my eyes and leaned into it as an invisible force gently caressed my face.

_Beep. Beep._

Sound.

Colors.

Things were shifting.

The bland world around me transformed in brief bursts, right in front of my very eyes. It was just an inconsistent transition at first, like I was toggling back and forth between two worlds.

A blur, then black.

A longer blur, then black.

A more defined blur, then black.

_She's waking. Gracie, she's waking._

Grandma. And Gracie. Family. I knew instantly who each touch belonged to. Gracie was holding my left hand, Gran's firm grip in my right. She was the one brushing my hair away from my face and behind my ear.

_Blakely, honey, can you hear me? _

Gran was using her soothing voice, the one she used when I was being melodramatic after a long day at school or when she was nursing a massive wound.

_Just squeeze my hand, Sweet, just squeeze. Let me know you're there._

I squeezed as hard as I could, my hands closing in on themselves and digging into my palms.

I realized I couldn't leave, but at least I knew I wasn't here alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, uber-sorry about how short this one is. I promise an update will happen very soon . . . I hope. And don't worry, we are definitely going to get some Jeremy action in the next chapter ;) Thanks for reading!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys, Happy Tuesday! Or Wednesday, depending on where you are. ;) So I've got a couple of important things you should know going into this chapter:**

**1. This chapter takes place a couple of hours before the last one. That's why no one's going to say anything about the ending of that one . . . yet. :P**

**2. Since our good friend Blakely is pretty much in a coma, we're going to take a break from her POV for a couple of chapters. Hope that's okay with everyone.**

**3. A good friend of mine brought up an excellent point the other day that I thought I'd just remind you guys of, for clarification purposes. Jeremy does know about the existence of vampires. The series hasn't said otherwise, but know that from here on out in _this_ story, Jeremy does know.**

**That said, I hope you enjoy the chapter! **

**And if I owned the Vampire Diaries, we would be getting a new episode this Thursday. Since I don't, we'll all just have to settle for reruns.**

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter Seven-<strong>

Déjà vu. That was the only way Jeremy could describe it. He'd been here before. Maybe he hadn't slept in this exact same hospital chair, per se, but the song remained the same.

Someone he cared for was attacked by a vampire. It was like Vicki all over again.

For all intents and purposes, he might as well have stayed in Mystic Falls. Elena sent him half-way across the country to escape vampires; he hadn't even been here a week and his only friend here had been attacked. Go figure.

Jeremy heard the shuffle of someone crawling into the chair next to him and had that unnerving feeling that someone was watching him intently. He didn't look though. He was going to hold on to the ounce of sleep he had left, regardless of what was going on around him.

He felt a slight poke in his arm, and then a second one with a little more force a few seconds later. Not wanting to open his eyes, Jeremy moaned. The third poke came harder, and to his stomach.

A moment later, Jeremy reached out and grabbed the finger in mid-poke. He heard a delighted gasp, and he opened his tired eyes slowly. He found a pair of round brown ones staring back at him.

"Nice try, kiddo," he smirked, releasing Gracie's finger. The small girl merely grinned back at him. Jeremy yawned, stretching his arms over his head. Sitting up straighter in the plastic chair, he passed a cursory glance over the room. Besides the daylight peeking through the blinds and the sweet child sitting next to him, everything looked the same as it did when he fell asleep last night.

Including Blakely.

It had been a full day since the incident, and she still hadn't woke up. He wasn't going to lie, the more time she spent unconscious the more it worried him. He couldn't remember how long Vicki was out when she was attacked, but he was pretty sure it hadn't been this long

Then again, Vicki had only been attacked by one vampire. Not two.

"Well, good morning Sleeping Beauty," Gran teased, looking over from her chair next to Blakely's bed.

"'Morning," Jeremy replied, releasing another yawn. "What time is it?"  
>Gran checked her hot pink watch. "A little after eight."<p>

Jeremy nodded; he'd figured as much. His eyes fell on Blakely again, and he felt that pang of worry. "I take it there's been no change."

Gran shook her head solemnly, and ran her hand gently down the side of Blakely's face. A somber silence set in the room, everyone's thoughts willing Blakely to wake.

After a few moments, Gran spoke up again. "You should probably head home, Jeremy. Take a shower, change your clothes, eat something besides this crappy hospital food."

A grim smile flickered on his face, and he nodded. He stood up, shaking out the tension and soreness that came from sleeping in a hard plastic chair all night. He walked over to the other side of Blakely's bed, and grabbed her hand. He watched her for a moment, praying that she'd choose this moment to come out of her comatose state. When nothing of the sort happened, he glanced up at Gran, who was already staring at him with a compassionate look on her face.

"You'll call if anything happens, right?"

She gave an imperceptible nod. "Of course, Jeremy."

He nodded back at her in thanks. He gave Blakely's hand a light squeeze and released it.

As he walked out the door, he really wished he would see Blakely's smiling face the next time he came through it.

* * *

><p>Kate paced down the dimly-lit hallway on the way to "Boss's Office," as those who did her dirty work had deemed the infamous room. Very few had been summoned there. Rumor had it she only called you in if you did something really phenomenal, or something totally idiotic. More often than not, it seemed to be the latter. Although no one really knew for sure that's what happened, it was easy to assume. The poor soul who had the misfortune of messing up usually left the room with a stake in their chest.<p>

Kate bit her lip and stifled a small sob as she walked. She was totally and completely screwed. She'd messed up, big time_._ Not only was Brady now dead, but she'd let the boy _and _the girl get away. She'd been caught by some other kid, too. The whole mission was just a failed disaster. Heads were definitely going to roll.

No. Not _heads._ Head, as in just hers.

Moments like this, she wished she'd just taken the easy way out and switched off her emotions. She was feeling too much at once, too strongly. Mourning the loss of Brady, humiliation and shame over her incompetence, frustration because she didn't even want to be a vampire in the first place. And that's not even including the fact they'd probably be dragging her lifeless body out to be buried in the woods in the next fifteen minutes. She was drowning in her emotions.

Hand shaking violently, she raised her fist to knock on the door. A wave of fear washed over her, and she lowered it.

"Come in, Kate," Boss's smooth voice carried through the door, cool with menacing undertones.

Of course he knew Kate was standing there like the scared chicken she was; Boss knew everything.

With timidity and trepidation, Kate entered the room. She put on her best poker face and kept her shaking to a minimum.

"You're standing so far away, love."

Kate took a hesitant step forward.

"Ah, I see how it is."

He was mocking her. It was sickening.

"You really messed up, you know."

She nodded, a quick bob. "I'm aware." She kept her voice cool and emotionless.

"I should kill you right now," in the blink of an eye he was behind her, his cool breath on her neck. "After what you've done it would be appropriate."

He nuzzle her neck for a moment, breathing in her scent. Kate just remained still, afraid any sort of response would confirm her imminent death. She knew full well that he liked to play with his toys before he disposed of them.

"Lucky for you, I've got a back up plan," he strolled around her side, so he was standing in front of her, face-to-face. "And you're going to help me."

On the outside, Kate kept her composure. Inside, however, she was elated. Relief spread through her from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes. She was safe, possibly temporarily, but she would at least get to live to see tomorrow.

"We're going to have to get you a daylight ring, Sweetheart," he smirked, amused. "It's about time we went back to school."

* * *

><p>Jeremy did exactly what Gran suggested. After taking a refreshing shower and helping himself to a bowl of Cap'n Crunch, he was headed back down to the hospital. Eventually.<p>

He had a stop he had to make first.

* * *

><p><strong>Quite honestly, this chapter was a royal pain to write and I'm really not sure how well it came out. It would really mean a lot if you maybe left a review and tell me what you thought. Either way, thanks for reading. :) <strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Sooo . . . I know you guys probably aren't too happy with me. Over two months without a new chapter is unacceptable, but I will definitely post more often! I'm super duper extremely sorry and I feel like the worst person ever. But many many many thanks to those of you that reviewed/favorited/story alerted this in my absence! Y'all rock my socks off :)**

**If it's any consolation, I brought chapter 8 as a peace offering :) I know it's a little short, and somewhat depressing but I was a little more concerned with getting a chapter out than length. That'll come later ;) **

**That said, I don't own the Vampire Diaries.**

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter Eight-<strong>

_I really need to get my license_, Jeremy thought to himself, shivering as he walked down the chilly Denver street in the early Sunday afternoon. He usually had to rely on the Burrows – the dear family friends he was living with – for a ride places. Unfortunately, Mike and Sarah were both at work, and their only son Charlie was at some geeky "live action role playing" convention all weekend. After coming home from his overnight stay at the hospital earlier that morning, the only one around to greet him was their dog, Paulie; and it was unlikely _he _would be chauffeuring him around anytime soon. Nope. Jeremy made a mental note to add Get Driver's Licenseto the top of his to-do list.

Jeremy glanced down at the sheet of paper in his hand, and back up at the house in front of him. The address written on the sheet and on the house matched up. Instinctively looking both ways to make sure no one was spying on him, Jeremy walked up the driveway and to the front door.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked. There was the sound of some shuffling, and he could hear someone on the inside make their way to the door. After a few seconds, the front door opened, revealing just the person Jeremy wanted to see.

"Gilbert? What the hell are you doing here?" Louis Griffiths hissed, surprise and a hint of annoyance displayed across his face. "Ugh, nevermind. Just get inside." He shook his head rapidly and grabbed Jeremy by the sleeve to jerk him inside.

For the scrawny nerd he was, Jeremy was a little shocked by Louis' strength. It was nowhere near that of a vampire, but the force of that small tug caught him a little off guard.

Closing the door behind him, Louis turned on Jeremy. He pushed his glasses higher up on his nose, then folded his arms. It was a sad attempt at being intimidating, considering he was about as threatening as a teddy bear.

A female voice sounded from farther back in the house. "Louis, hon - who was that at the door?"

"Just someone from school, Ma," Louis called back, his narrowed eyes never leaving Jeremy's. "We're going to be hanging out in my room, okay?"

"Is it a girl?" her shrill voice returned hopefully.

"No, Ma. Just a friend. A _guy_ friend," Louis emphasized, rolling his eyes in annoyance as a vain attempt to cover up his obvious mortification. Jeremy bit his lip and faked a cough, trying to cover up a snicker.

The return of Louis' glare gave him the feeling he was unsuccessful. "Shut up, Gilbert. Follow me."

Without another word, Louis turned his back on him and began up a set of stairs. After a brief moment of indecision, Jeremy followed after him.

* * *

><p><strong>*Gran's POV*<strong>

Shortly after Jeremy left, Gracie and I headed down to the cafeteria for breakfast. We ate mostly in silence; I would make a few comments to Gracie, who would simply show her answer through nodding her head or by her facial expressions. We really weren't eating so much as making a show of trying to be brave for each other. It's just one of those stubborn traits that runs in our family – we don't let others see our pain.

After spending about fifteen minutes of picking at my blueberry muffin, and realizing Gracie hadn't so much as looked her cereal for a while, I figured it might be a good idea to head back up to Blakely's room. Although that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Seeing my beloved, upbeat granddaughter in that state . . . cold, unresponsive, her only signs of life through the steady beeping of a machine . . . No, I didn't want to return to that room. Even though the staff at the hospital obviously tried to spruce up the place with bright pictures of flowers and beaches, nothing could take away from the air of doom and gloom that this place exuded. Pain, despair, pessimism . . . They were contagious diseases on their own. They were subtle, but they were quite evident at the same time.

That's why I always felt so obligated to spread optimism. My own personal cure to the perpetual darkness. I believe caring for others was my God-given gift, and part of that was wiping the frown of the face of everyone I came in contact with. I'd do anything to make people happy, sometimes at my own expense. It was why I suck up whatever heartache being in that treacherous room brings me. I'm going to be there for Blakely no matter what the circumstances. Whether my granddaughter is conscious or not, I'm going to be sitting in that ugly plastic chair until my girl wakes. And when she does, I'm going to sweep her into my arms and give her the biggest, smothering, Gran-Gran bear hug of her life. If I don't break out into a fit of uncontrollable sobs first . . . I'll probably do both.

But that will come in due time. Right now, my main priority is Gracie – who had gone through her own traumas in life as well. To the point where she wasn't even capable of expressing herself vocally anymore. It's so hard seeing someone so young full of so much pain. She's part of the reason why I have such faith that Blakely will wake from this, soon. For Gracie. If there's anyone living on this planet who loves that little girl as much as I do, it'd be Blakely. And that's really saying something.

_If Blakely didn't come out of this . . . _No. I scolded myrself severely for even considering the thought. This was a "when," not an "if." Blakely _will_ come out of this. She was going to heal 100%. And I was going to be there when it happened.

I rested my hand on Gracie's. "You ready to head back to the room, sweet pea?"

Her knee-jerk reaction was to shake her head – _No. _Gracie scrunched her eyebrows together, contemplating. After a moment's debate, she finally nodded her head. _Yes._

"Well, let's go then, chickadee," Gracie bounded out of her seat as I took my time standing up. We began to head out of the cafeteria. I walked slowly with my half-eaten muffin in one hand, and Gracie's small hand in the other.

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><p><strong>Again, sorry about how short it is. And how this story has kind of strayed from it's original plot :P<strong>


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